


(Don't) Leave Me Alone

by missred



Series: Get Steve a Sweater [1]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Anxiety Attacks, Anxiety Disorder, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Panic Attacks, except that touch can be be very upsetting for some people in the midst of an anxiety attack, get steve a sweater, keep steve rogers warm 2kforever, nothing about this is medically accurate
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-27
Updated: 2016-05-27
Packaged: 2018-07-10 11:07:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6981859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/missred/pseuds/missred
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve doesn't like the cold.</p>
            </blockquote>





	(Don't) Leave Me Alone

The power is out for half of New York, there’s already been 10 inches of snow and the tower is running on back-up generators. Tony has been working on warmer Kevlar for Natasha’s suit but he can’t figure out how to maintain the integrity of the material and up the physical protection from things like shitty winter storms. The point is, it’s already been kind of a shitty night when JARVIS pages Tony.

“Sir? Mr. Roger’s blood-oxygen levels are dropping perilously low."

Tony drops the plans he’s been working on and gets ready to call a suit.

“What’s happening JARVIS?”

“It appears he’s holding his breath, sir.”

Tony starts running.

He finds Steve on the floor by the window in the living room. He’s curled up small, eyes ahead, alternating between hyperventilating and not breathing. Tony is not qualified for whatever the fuck this is. Steve is shaking, shivering so bad Tony is afraid, for a minute. He can’t see anything that’s causing this. Tony gets JARVIS to crank the heat and asks him to call Bruce. Bruce rushed up, looking slightly disheveled. He might have been sleeping, Tony only has a vague idea of what time it is. He kneels down carefully in front of Steve, but it’s like he’s invisible. Steve’s eyes are open without seeing, and he’s shaking, shaking, shaking. Tony’s been timing it. He’ll go three minutes or more without breathing, and then a few short, gasping, shallow breaths.

Bruce says it's a panic attack. Tony’s scared shitless and he’s not sure he believes it. He never just _stops breathing_ when his hit.

“Are you sure?”

Bruce says something about trying to control autonomic functions but he doesn't know how to snap him out of it. He warns Tony to get out or get in a suit, he doesn't know how Steve will react if they try to touch him.

Tony calls a suit.

Bruce sends him to get an oxygen mask and asks JARVIS if Thor is around. He's not in the tower but JARVIS calls him in.

Steve's still shivering. Bruce debates for a minute. He's not really equipped for this kind of thing. Water might be bad, but physical sensation can help.

From what he knows of Steve, water might not be the best sensation, but he can’t think of anything he could make hot like that.

Tony gets back before Thor.

“The oxygen mask might be overdoing it but I want to capitalize on the breaths he does take.”

Bruce doesn’t add that even super soldiers pass out eventually, and he doesn't want to find out how long Steve can last. It's been longer than it would take a normal personal to be unconscious already.

Bruce steps back, asks Tony to mask him,  "but don't touch him please."

Tony manages surprisingly well, placing the mask over his face without actually touching him. The elastic band snaps bit as it settles behind his ears, Steve doesn't respond. JARVIS gives a read-out: blood-ox levels are slightly better. His lips and fingers had gone blue tinged.

Thor shows up ready for battle, hammer in hand. He rushes Steve and only Tony's hands on his chest keep him back

"Banner says no touching."

Thor nearly growls. Speaking lowly, he asks "What ails him?'

"Something like a panic attack, I think." Bruce replies, quiet.

"Super soldier, super reaction."

Thor doesn't seem to understand but he wrinkles his brow anyways.

"How do we help?"

Bruce nods, like it's steadying.

"I had JARVIS run a bath, hot water. I'm going to ask you to get him into it."

Thor drops the hammer, ready to help however he can.

Bruce adds quickly, "he might fight you. I don't really know. Some people use touch to get out of it, others.."

Thor nods, unintimidated.

Tony backs up but looks to Bruce, sounding vaguely hurt.

"I could have done that."

"He's not himself right now," Bruce says grimly. "If he does react, I figured it'd be safer to have someone a little more durable here."

Thor steps forward, puts his arms around Steve like he's a small child. Steve doesn't so much as flinch, but he's shaking violently enough Tony isn't sure they'd be able to tell.

Thor tries to set him down gently, but the second he touches the water, he's thrashing, snarling and wordless.  One of his fists catches Thor under the chin.

Bruce looks pained.

"Hold him down please."

Thor does.

It’'s one of the worst fifteen seconds of Tony's life. It feels too personal to be seeing this, Steve trying with a desperation Tony's never seen, to get out, get away get up.

Then either the heat of the water or just the sensation itself does something and Steve goes still. He sits up, pulls off the mask, surveys the scene. He looks beat, the slump of his shoulders speak of exhaustion.

"Did I hurt anyone?" he asks dully.

"No." Bruce jumps in quickly. "You're alright."

"Let's get you out of there, Cap."

Tony reaches a hand out and then realizes he's still in the suit. Something in Steve's face goes wrong and sad. Tony pulls him out of the tub, Thor puts a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

He tries to leave, be alone, but Bruce won’t let him. He lets Steve get away to get changed, but he and Tony and Thor are right outside the door.

Jarvis doesn't respond when he asks him to lock it. Steve's never been one to run from his problems anyways.

When he comes out, they're all waiting, everyone but Tony hesitant.The suit is gone.

Steve comes out in sweatpants and a t shirt. Bruce looks unsurprised, but hands him a soft, worn purple hoodie. Steve hasn't seen anything like it. He get the sense that it'd fit Bruce when he's...other Bruce. He feels like he shouldn't take it, but Bruce is quietly insistent. It dwarfs him. It’s kind of nice to feel small again.

Thor leads them to the smaller living room, the one farthest away from Tony's lab. Bruce coaxed him to sleep there sometimes, if it's been a while.

Steve wants to be alone but he knows that’s not happening. He settles for curling up the couch, knees to his chest. There's a duvet over the back of the couch, Thor deftly tosses it over Steve before he can protest.

"So, are we gonna talk about this?" Tony asks, after its clear no one else is going to.

Bruce jabs him in the ribs and Thor scowls.

Steve sighs. He sounds tired. More tired than anyone should be. “It’s--cold. Don’t like cold. I can handle it.” He draws another shaky breath. "Tony can we just not right now?"

Tony wants to protest, wants to demand Steve explain what the _fuck_ just happened. But he's been on the other side, knows sometimes you can't talk about it

"Yeah." Tony nods, but if we're having a man-sleepover, I'm making coco. JARVIS?"

And he's off the couch, bounding towards the kitchenette, while JARVIS apparently turns on the hot water heater.

Bruce settles next to Steve on the couch, far enough to be safe, close enough to be present

"Thanks for the hoodie." Steve mumbles.

He's swimming in it and all of the sudden he is so, so tired.

"Keep it." Bruce says gently.

Steve wants to protest but he yawns instead and Thor tosses another blanket over him.

"Sleep. We will be here when you wake."

“Y'dont have to." Steve is barely able to keep his eyes open.

"You need a lesson in Disney classics," Tony says, re-ermerging with a tray of mugs. "Family means nobody gets left behind."

Steve wants to ask what that has to do with Disney, wants to ask if family is really what this weird jumble of people is, but for now, he sleeps.

**Author's Note:**

> I didn't mean to write this.


End file.
